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Rage & Resistance in the Streets Against Fascism in Flagstaff

September 10, 2017

Sunday, Sept. 10, 2017by Rage & Resist

Flagstaff, AZ/Occupied Lands —Fierce young folks took to the streets of so-called “Flagstaff” yesterday chanting “When Nazi’s attack what do we do? Fight Back!” and carrying a banner that read, “Make White Supremacists Afraid Again.” The demonstration was called in response to the September 5th white supremacist arson attack on Maktoob Hookah Lounge, which is centrally located in downtown Flagstaff at Heritage Square.

We aren’t clear on numbers but some reports state up to two hundred attended the “Love > Fear” rally. The event kicked off around 1:00pm right near the entrance to Maktoob (which has now vacated the building). The energetic crowd chanted for several minutes and it was clear this wasn’t going to be the typical stale liberal Flagstaff rally (standing on grass, cheers erupting at each honk, back-patting, signs recycled from 2006…). A march was initiated and relegated to the sidewalk until an enthusiastic contingent 😉 assisted the current in overflowing onto the streets. The crowd hardly required enticement as the chants were loud and clear, “When Muslims are under attack? Fight Back!” “Whose Streets? Our Streets! Whose Land? Native Land!” and the now customary, “No Nazis no KKK no fascist USA.”
The streets were taken on and off as folks wound their way downtown and through the Southside. The march was greeted mostly with support and the occasional fascist shouting typical boorish aspersions. (Just just to be clear: if you know that there’s been a targeted racist arson attack in town and you see folks clearly resisting that shit, know that we are going to see you as complicit to white supremacy if you are opposed to us. It’s not a complicated equation.)

Whether it was the intensity of the crowd or the potential for unwanted negative PR, the cops were markedly restrained. We were shadowed by foot patrol and an excess of marked cars, but given their past attacks on Protect the Peaks actions and the Joel Olsen memorial march, the restraint was notable.
Flagstaff street medics also accompanied the procession, and they always bring the most welcome sparkle to the festivities. <3

As the march wound back to Heritage Square a fascist with a walker began yelling a mix of vile racial slurs (bears no repeating), “MAGA”, and the quite confused, “there is no fascism in America.” He stalked the march into the square as folks were gathering to conclude the rally-turned-march. He then proceeded to aggressively target several womxn including Xicanx repeatedly calling her a “c-nt” and threateningly provoking her to “touch” him. She exercised great restraint by not beating his ass into the ground, though next time the cops may not be there to prevent the masses from taking out the fascist trash. (Just like that time, or two? in the bathroom at NAU… you know, Ann Coulter wannabe can’t bully trans folks with broken face now, right?) <3
The crowd quickly responded shouting “no space” with some quick-acting masked individuals intervening with banners and an anti-fa flag. At one point the fascist pushed his walker through the banner, backed up, then dramatically threw himself to the ground. The pigs stood back until beckoned by their “fallen” brethren, who then attempted to single someone out as a scapegoat for his theatrics. Apparently the fascists of Flagstaff (who unsurprisingly can’t even draw swastikas correctly) are so pathetic they feign attacks on themselves to calumniate those they aspire to destroy. This pathetic cheap shot at LARP subterfuge was transparent and predictable, so it was altogether effortlessly sidestepped by fierce folks who held their ground. Aside from a microaggressive liberal eagerly attempting to police the rage of Indigenous, LGBTQI2S, Muslim, Mexica, Black, and accomplices, there weren’t any other serious issues.

No arrests were made. Politicians and other liberals sidelined themselves. The rain gently kissed our backs. Our love raged fiercely and echoed, shaking the walls of their colonial institutions.
Those attending the rally held the space and ensured no fascists or nazi apologists were welcomed. It was a clear demonstration of the power and energy that our community has to defend itself.

The fascists are coming out of the woodwork, here are some public/active entities that we are aware of: The Deplorable Nation (formerly Soldiers of Odin), Turning Point USA (on NAU Campus), Flagstaff Area Transient Patrol, Legal Americans Surveillance Citizens Project, Criminal Coral’s Communist Children (now defunct), Arizona Snowbowl.

If you have info on fascist organizing, threats, or other tips: rageandresist[at]riseup.net

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Rage & Resist is an anti-colonial anti-fascist force organizing to ensure racism, sexism, trans/homophobia, and colonialism are uprooted from these lands. See you in the streets!